Garland light



y 1966 c. w. RICHTER m 3,253,137

GARLAND LIGHT Filed Jan. 25, 1964 INVENTOR. Charles W Richter HI United States Patent 3,253,137 GARLAND LIGHT Charles W. Richter III, Marion, Ind., assignor to General Plastics Corporation, Marion, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Jan. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 339,803 1 Claim. (Cl. 24010) The present invention relates to a light and garland light arrangement usable as a holiday ornament or the It has been found desirable, during the holiday season, to hang garlands including many ribbons and to secure electric lights at spaced intervals along the garlands all of which produces a pleasing ornamental effect. In certain applications, the ribbons are electrically conductive and are capable of causing a short circuit if caught within the open end of a light socket. Consequently, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric light-garland combination wherein means is provided for preventing the ribbons from entering said light sockets.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a decorative arrangement which is relatively inexpensive in construction and is easily and quickly assembled.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention might include a light-garland combination comprising a garland including an elongated central hanging support and a plurality of decorative ribbons secured to said central support and extending in many radial directions therefrom, a generally cylindrical light socket having an outwardly flared open end and having a pair of conductors therein leading to said light socket, a pair of spikes each electrically connected to each of said conductors, said socket having a pair of side-by-side grooves therein into each of which one of said spikes projects, a pair of insulated electrical conductors each extending through one of said parallel grooves and each extending alongside said hanging support, a top tightly secured to said socket over the closed end thereof and bearing down against said conductors to force said spike into the conductive portion of each insulated conductor, a light bulb operatively received in said socket, a colored globe having a pair of opposed openings therein, one of said openings being sufficiently large to permit inserting the hand within the globe to change the bulb, a collar surrounding the other of said openings and integral with the globe, said collar being received about said socket and having an inside diameter smaller than said flared end and said top whereby said globe is retained on said socket, and a clasp mounted on said collar and adapted for use in hanging said globe on an object, said globe being sufliciently large to prevent said ribbons from being received in the open end of said sockets and causing a short circuit.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a garland-light combination embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a light embodying the present invention and forming a part of the structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken through the construction of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a garland 10 which includes an elongated central hanging support to which is attached a plurality of decorative ribbons 11 which extend in many radial directions from said support. The ribbons 11 may be formed of aluminum or similar conductive materials.

A plurality of globes 12 are positioned at spaced intervals along the garland 10 and may have varying colors. The globes 12 are preferably formed from a plastic material and have the configuration shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Each of the globes 12 has a pair of opposed openings 15 and 16, the opening 16 being sufliciently large to permit insertion of the hand within the globe to change the light bulb 17.

Surrounding the opening 15 is a collar 20 which is integral wtih the globe 12 and preferably formed of the same plastic material. The collar 20 has formed integrally thereon a projection 21 which is also integral with the globe 12 and has an aperture 22 therethrough. The clasp 25 extends through the aperture and may be used for securing the globe and the electric wires 26 associated therewith to the garland 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, a generally cylindrical socket 30 is received within the collar 20 and has a flaring open end 31 into which is threaded the light bulb 17. The socket 30 has a pair of parallel slots 32 which receive the insulated electric wires 26. A pair of electrical conductors 35 are included within and form a part of the socket 30, each of said conductors having a spike 36 associated therewith. Each of the spikes 36 pierces the insulation of a respective one of the electrical wires 26 and provides electrical contact with the conducting portion within the wire. The conductors 35 lead in conventional manner to the threaded portion and end portion, respectively, of the hollow interior of the socket 30.

The socket 30 is provided with a top or cap 34 which includes an interior thread 37 which is received upon a threaded stud 40 projecting from the socket 30. The top 34 may be screwed down tightly against the conductors 26 to provide the above mentioned electrical connection with the conductors.

It will be noted that the exterior surface 41 of the socket 30 is cylindrical so as to complement and correspond to the interior shape of the surface 42 of the coller 20. The flaring portion 31, however, is larger than the interior surface 42 as is the cap or top 34 whereby the globe is prevented or limited from disassembly with the socket. The socket, however, can be quickly assembled with the globe by merely inserting it through the collar and screwing the top onto the socket. The globe 12 is sufliciently large to prevent the ribbons 11 from becoming inserted within the socket and causing a short circuit.

It will be evident from the above description that the present invention provides an improved electrical lightgarland arrangement which is relatively inexpensive in construction and which is safe in that it includes means preventing short circuiting of the socket.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A decorative arrangement comprising a garland including an elongated central hanging support and a plurality of decorative ribbons secured to said central support and extending in many radial directions thereform, a generally cylindrical light socket having an outwardly flared open end and having a pair of conductors therein leading to said light socket, a pair of spikes each electrically connected to a respective one of said conductors, said socket having a pair of side-by-side grooves therein into each of which a respective one of said spikes projects, a pair of insulated electrical conductors each extending through one of said parallel grooves and each extending alongside said hanging support, a top tightly secured to. said socket over the closed end thereof and bearing down against said conductors to force each of said spikes into the conductive portion of its respective insulated conductor, a light bulb operatively received in said socket, a colored globe having a pair of opposed openings therein, one of said openings being sufliciently large to permit inserting the hand Within 20 the globe to change the bulb, a collar surrounding the other of said openings and integral with the globe, said collar being received about said socket and having an inside diameter smaller than said flared end and said top Whereby said globe is retainedon said socket, said collar being provided with a projection extending laterally therefrom, the projection having an aperture therein removably receiving a clasp, said clasp being adapted for use in hanging said globe on an object, said globe being sufiiciently large to prevent said ribbons from being received in the open end of said socket and causing a short circuit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,495,639 1/1950 Moreno 24010 X 2,512,129 6/1950 Appleby 240-10 X 2,664,497 12/1953 Reynolds 24010 3,011,049 11/1961 Kinghorn 24010 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,346,073 11/1963 France.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

J. F. PETERS, Assistant Examiner. 

